Are Therapy Dogs Service Dogs?

There are several questions surrounding the difference between therapy dogs in service dogs and if they do the same thing. The short answer is no, they do not do the same things, actually, they do very different things. As you read further I will explain the difference between a service dog and a therapy dog.

Service dogs are usually trained by specialty trainers to assist individuals with disabilities. Service dogs are trained to perform tasks to help an individual with a disability live a fuller life. For instance, a person that has difficulty walking may have a service dog to help stabilize them as they walk. The Americans with disability act protect the rights of people with disabilities to be accompanied by their service dogs in public places such as restaurants, grocery stores, and hotels.

Therapy dogs also receive special training, however, they do not perform the same tasks that a service dog does. Therapy dogs are trained to provide comfort to individuals that are facing a difficult psychological event through petting the dog, holding the dog, or just being able to see the dog can provide comfort. Another large difference is that therapy dogs are trained to work with several individuals and not just one particular individual. Since their job is to provide comfort, they need to be able to work with a variety of individuals rather than providing a specific service to just one individual.

Each dog has a specific duty to carry out, and while there may be similarities, they are very different. Service dogs are generally not considered pets, they are considered working dogs that are highly trained to perform a specific duty, while therapy dogs can be pets and are trained to perform various duties for several individuals. Therapy dogs are often found in hospitals, nursing homes, and after traumatic events at schools or other types of facilities where large groups have been psychologically impacted. Service dogs will only perform duties for their handler.

I hope this answers the question are therapy dogs service dogs. They are different even though they may perform overlapping tasks from time to time. Service dogs are dogs that perform certain tasks, and therapy dogs are there to comfort those in psychological distress.